Cuba

-3-
CUBA AND COMMUNISM
(By Walter Lippmann)
Shortly after Dr. Castro brought his revolution
to power in Cuba, the Governor of
Puerto Rico, Mr. Munoz-Marin, came up to
Washington. He came to give us advice
which he was preeminently qualified to do.
For he had been carrying through successfully
a peaceful revolution in his own country,
he had the personal confidence of the
Cuban revolutionists, and he was and is
our very great friend.
Even then, at the beginning he foresaw the
troubles in Cuba, the stubborn difficulties
against which the revolution was waged and
which it then inherited, the inexperience and
the emotional instability of its fighting
leaders.
"Whatever you do, he said in effect, do not
let yourselves become enemies of this
revolution. For this revolution is the real thing.
It is not a mere change of the guard at the
top as is so common in Latin America. This
is a popular revolution of the sort which,
more than 30 years ago, Mexico went
through, and after years of blood and tears
brought to a happy ending.
It requires great skill to manage our relations
with a revolution of this character in
a country which is such a very near
neighbor. We have to find -ways of reconciling
our political and economic interests with a
revolution -which cannot be stabilized until
the chief grievances which produced the
revolution have been redressed. This can
be managed only if the American
Ambassa¬dor in Havana can work out a relationship
with the revolutionary leaders in which they
will listen to him, and even seek his advice
and his help.
There is good reason to say that we have
such an Ambassador in Havana, one who
is capable of carrying out such a delicate
mission, who has, one might say, "good
hands" when he rides. But, of course he
has no chance whatever of succeeding if
Congress is going to roughhouse our
relations with Cuba, as did the Internal Security
Subcommittee of the Senate just the
other day. This was -when it provided a
platform and loudspeakers for a disaffected
Cuban adventurer to denounce the Cuban
revolutionists as Communists. This
country, as the President, was quick to point out,
"has made no such charges.** But the
dam¬age done by the subcommittee's
irresponsible meddling may not be repaired easily or
quickly.
The policy which we are following in Cuba
is to avoid a break with Dr. Castro and to
seek more contact with him. This policy is
the product of years of experience in our
relations with the other American States.
There is no alternative to it, given the fact
that we have most solemnly renounced the
right of intervention to suppress a revolution

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-3-
CUBA AND COMMUNISM
(By Walter Lippmann)
Shortly after Dr. Castro brought his revolution
to power in Cuba, the Governor of
Puerto Rico, Mr. Munoz-Marin, came up to
Washington. He came to give us advice
which he was preeminently qualified to do.
For he had been carrying through successfully
a peaceful revolution in his own country,
he had the personal confidence of the
Cuban revolutionists, and he was and is
our very great friend.
Even then, at the beginning he foresaw the
troubles in Cuba, the stubborn difficulties
against which the revolution was waged and
which it then inherited, the inexperience and
the emotional instability of its fighting
leaders.
"Whatever you do, he said in effect, do not
let yourselves become enemies of this
revolution. For this revolution is the real thing.
It is not a mere change of the guard at the
top as is so common in Latin America. This
is a popular revolution of the sort which,
more than 30 years ago, Mexico went
through, and after years of blood and tears
brought to a happy ending.
It requires great skill to manage our relations
with a revolution of this character in
a country which is such a very near
neighbor. We have to find -ways of reconciling
our political and economic interests with a
revolution -which cannot be stabilized until
the chief grievances which produced the
revolution have been redressed. This can
be managed only if the American
Ambassa¬dor in Havana can work out a relationship
with the revolutionary leaders in which they
will listen to him, and even seek his advice
and his help.
There is good reason to say that we have
such an Ambassador in Havana, one who
is capable of carrying out such a delicate
mission, who has, one might say, "good
hands" when he rides. But, of course he
has no chance whatever of succeeding if
Congress is going to roughhouse our
relations with Cuba, as did the Internal Security
Subcommittee of the Senate just the
other day. This was -when it provided a
platform and loudspeakers for a disaffected
Cuban adventurer to denounce the Cuban
revolutionists as Communists. This
country, as the President, was quick to point out,
"has made no such charges.** But the
dam¬age done by the subcommittee's
irresponsible meddling may not be repaired easily or
quickly.
The policy which we are following in Cuba
is to avoid a break with Dr. Castro and to
seek more contact with him. This policy is
the product of years of experience in our
relations with the other American States.
There is no alternative to it, given the fact
that we have most solemnly renounced the
right of intervention to suppress a revolution